1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for production of disposable diaper pants or of a sanitary panty of the disposable type with openable and resealable side panels, and to diaper pants or a sanitary panty produced by means of this method.
2. Background Art
Diaper pants with openable and resealable side panels combine the advantages of conventional diaper pants and conventional diapers. They are produced with sealed side panels and, like conventional diaper pants, can be taken off and put on in the same way as underpants. By means of the side panels being openable, they can also be taken off in the same way as conventional diapers, as a result of which they can be changed without underpants, shoes and stockings having to be taken off, and soiling of the infant can be avoided when changing the diaper pants. Moreover, the fact that they are resealable means that a parent can open the diaper pants in order to check whether they need to be changed and can seal the diaper pants again if this is not the case. It is therefore of advantage to be able to produce such diaper pants in an economic way.
SE-C2-508 613 discloses a method for producing diaper pants from a web of continuous diaper pants blanks, in which the blanks are arranged side by side. In this method, the whole web of diaper pants blanks is folded so that front edges and rear edges lie edge-to-edge, and the side portions of the folded diaper pants blanks are secured to each other with the aid of a folded band. The folded band can be in two parts, said two parts being connected to each other by means of a detachable and resealable connection. The band does not normally form separate side panels, but it is stated that bands folded in a bellows fashion can be used if it is desired to use parts of the bands to form side panels. Such folding in a bellows fashion complicates the method and requires great precision when applying the bellows-folded bands. The document also mentions that, in the case of a web of continuous diaper pants blanks in which the diaper pants blanks are arranged one after another, it is possible to connect the side portions of individual diaper pants blanks to each other with the aid of folded bands. Such a method requires great precision both when applying the bands and when cutting the individual diaper pants blanks from the web of continuous diaper pants blanks.
WO 99/65439, WO 99/65441, WO 00/37007 and WO 00/37010 all disclose methods for producing diaper pants in which side panels are fastened in a detachable and resealable manner to side portions of the unit of the diaper pants which encloses the absorption body. These methods too require great precision when applying the side panels and when cutting the individual diaper pants blanks from the web of continuous diaper pants blanks. These methods also make it difficult to design the openable and resealable connection as a childproof connection.
It is an object of the present invention to make available a method for production of disposable diaper pants or of a sanitary panty of the disposable type with openable and resealable side panels, said method requiring less precision than in previously known methods when applying side panels to a web of continuous diaper pants blanks arranged in succession, and when subsequently cutting individual diaper pants blanks from the web. A further object is to permit application of childproof connections in a simple manner.